Food container with an extendable sauce receptacle

ABSTRACT

A food container includes a housing to receive food. The housing may have a front, a back, a first side, a second side, a top, and a bottom. The housing may further include a food aperture at the top of the housing where food may be deposited. A sauce receptacle may extend from the housing so as to receive a sauce or a sauce container.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/125,010, filed on Dec. 14, 2020, which is incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to food containers. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a food container with a sauce receptacle to receive sauce/condiments.

BACKGROUND

French fries have been around for years and have been a popular food for many fast food restaurant chains. Fries may come in a variety of containers, such as paper bags, paper containers, and paper boxes. Additionally, many people enjoy dipping fries in sauces, whether it be ketchup, ranch dressings, or proprietary sauces. These sauces may come in single service packets or containers with removable covers. For years, people have squeezed these packets onto the fast food restaurant bag or the sandwich wrapper, which if seated in the restaurant may not pose any problems. However, many messes have been presented while in a vehicle and trying to squeeze sauce onto the bag, sandwich wrapper, or other container. Due to the fact that many people are consuming fries in their vehicles, these messes are common.

Attempts have been made to control these messes by changing the configuration of the single service packets, including dippable containers. However, it may still be difficult to find a place for the container to rest, resulting in spills and messes. Even with these changes to the sauce packets, there has not been a change to the design of the french fry container, thereby forcing an individual to decide where to place the fries and sauce. Because of this, many people may not consume any sauces even though they enjoy dipping their fries in sauce.

Additionally, other dippable foods could also benefit from a better arrangement of container and sauce. For example, chicken nuggets, tater tots, or any other dippable food may benefit from a better container and sauce arrangement.

Accordingly, there is a need for a container that receives both food and sauce separately, thereby making it convenient for a user to dip the food while reducing or preventing messes. The present disclosure seeks to solve these and other problems.

SUMMARY OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

In some embodiments, a food container comprises a housing to receive food. The housing may comprise a front, a back, a first side, a second side, a top, and a bottom. The housing may further comprise a food aperture at the top of the housing where food may be deposited. A sauce receptacle may extend from the top, back portion of the housing. The sauce receptacle may extend outwardly away from the housing so as to receive a sauce or a sauce container. In some embodiments, the sauce receptacle extends inwardly.

In some embodiments, the food container comes pre-packaged with a desired sauce in the sauce receptacle so that an individual only need remove a flexible liner to expose the sauce.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a front, side perspective view of a food container;

FIG. 2 illustrates a side elevation view of a food container;

FIG. 3 illustrates a back, side perspective view of a food container;

FIG. 4 illustrates a top plan view of a food container;

FIG. 5 illustrates a top plan view of a food container with a sauce receptacle in a closed configuration;

FIG. 6 illustrates a top plan view of a food container with a sauce receptacle in an open configuration;

FIG. 7 illustrates a back, side perspective view of a food container;

FIG. 8 illustrates a back, side perspective view of a food container; and

FIG. 9 illustrates a front, side perspective view of a food container.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

The following descriptions depict only example embodiments and are not to be considered limiting in scope. Any reference herein to “the invention” is not intended to restrict or limit the invention to exact features or steps of any one or more of the exemplary embodiments disclosed in the present specification. References to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “various embodiments,” and the like, may indicate that the embodiment(s) so described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment necessarily includes the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Further, repeated use of the phrase “in one embodiment,” or “in an embodiment,” do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, although they may.

Accordingly, the particular arrangements disclosed are meant to be illustrative only and not limiting as to the scope of the invention, which is to be given the full breadth of the appended claims and any and all equivalents thereof. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. Unless otherwise expressly defined herein, such terms are intended to be given their broad, ordinary, and customary meaning not inconsistent with that applicable in the relevant industry and without restriction to any specific embodiment hereinafter described. As used herein, the article “a” is intended to include one or more items. When used herein to join a list of items, the term “or” denotes at least one of the items, but does not exclude a plurality of items of the list. For exemplary methods or processes, the sequence and/or arrangement of steps described herein are illustrative and not restrictive.

It should be understood that the steps of any such processes or methods are not limited to being carried out in any particular sequence, arrangement, or with any particular graphics or interface. Indeed, the steps of the disclosed processes or methods generally may be carried out in various sequences and arrangements while still falling within the scope of the present invention.

The term “coupled” may mean that two or more elements are in direct physical contact. However, “coupled” may also mean that two or more elements are not in direct contact with each other, but yet still cooperate or interact with each other.

The terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” and the like, as used with respect to embodiments, are synonymous, and are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including, but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes, but is not limited to,” etc.).

As discussed earlier, there is a need for a single container that receives food and sauce separately, thereby making it convenient for a user and reducing or preventing messes. The food container disclosed herein seeks to solve these and other problems.

Many french fries, nuggets, and other foods are consumed each year without an easy, mess-free way of eating them with sauce. In fact, most people are left squeezing sauce directly onto the food, on the fast-food bag, or the sandwich wrapper, which may cause potential messes while in a vehicle or other places. The food container described herein comprises a housing with a sauce receptacle to receive any type of sauce. It will be appreciated that messes may be avoided due to the fact that there is a designated location to place the sauce, and it is easily accessed.

Referring to FIGS. 1-4, in some embodiments, a food container 100 comprises a housing 102 to receive food. The housing 102 may comprise a front 104, a back 106, a first side 108, a second side 110, a top 112, and a bottom 114. The housing 102 may further comprise a food aperture 116 at the top 112 of the housing 102 where food may be deposited. The housing 102 may be manufactured from numerous materials, such as cardboard, paper, plastic, foam, etc. It will be appreciated that the food container 100 may receive any type of food, such as fries, onion rings, tater tots, chicken nuggets, etc.

Furthermore, a sauce receptacle 118 may extend from the top 112, back 106 of the housing 102. The sauce receptacle 118 may extend outwardly away from the housing 102 so as to receive a sauce without interfering with the food aperture 116 and food therein. In some embodiments, the sauce receptacle 118 may be coupled to the housing 102 via an adhesive on the edges of the sauce receptacle 118 and extend away from the back 106 of the housing 102. In some embodiments, the sauce receptacle 118 may be manufactured with the housing 102, thereby comprising a single unit, a bottom edge 119 (FIG. 3) being a living hinge (e.g., bendable cardboard). Creases 121 in receptacle sidewalls 123 and/or perforations along the sides and/or top may be used to keep the sauce receptacle 118 flattened against the back 106 until use. In other words, the back panel 125 may be adjacent to, and abut, the back 106. When a user desires to use the sauce receptacle 118, the user may pull on the back panel 125 to open the sauce receptacle 118, allowing sauce to be deposited therein. In some embodiments, the back 106 may comprise two layers, the back panel 125 formed from one of the layers of the back 106 (e.g., one layer of cardboard) that separates from a second layer of the back 106 at the bottom edge 119 with the sidewalls 123 extending between the first and second layers of back 106.

It will be appreciated that the sauce receptacle 118 may extend: 1) inwardly towards the front 104; 2) outwardly away from the back 106 of the housing 102; or 3) in both directions (e.g., back 106 is perforated at the top 112, allowing it to split open), thereby creating a void (i.e., receptacle) to deposit the sauce. While the sauce receptacle 118 is shown as coupled to the back 106 of the housing 102, it will be appreciated that the sauce receptacle 118 may couple to and extend from any suitable surface of the housing 102, such as the front 104 or sides 108, 110. It will be appreciated that the sauce receptacle 118 may comprise a sealed bottom and sides to contain the sauce. In some embodiments, the sauce receptable 118 may comprise a liquid-impervious material (e.g., plastics, polyethylene, etc.) so as to prevent the sauce from soaking into and degrading the sauce receptacle 118 and the housing 102.

Referring to FIGS. 5-6, a food container 200 comprises a front 204, back 206, right side 208, left side 210, and a food aperture 216. The back 206 comprises a perforated top edge 212 that is configured to separate into two top edges 212A, 212B, forming a receptacle 218 (i.e., a void) therebetween. For example, a user may squeeze the top edge 212 on the right side 208 and left side 210, causing the perforated top edge 212 to split, forming the receptacle 218. A user may then deposit sauce into the receptacle, either by squeezing a packet or container so as to empty the sauce directly into the receptacle 218, or may place a sauce container in the receptacle 218. In other words, the receptacle may be sized so as to receive standard dipping sauce containers.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 7, a food container 300 comprises a sauce receptacle 318 comes pre-packaged with a desired sauce 320 so that an individual only need remove a lid 322 to expose the sauce 320. The lid may be clear cellophane, polyethylene, plastics, cardboards, or any other suitable material. If cardboard or other paper material is used, a hydrophobic coating (e.g., polylactic acid, blended waterborne acrylic lattice, wax, etc.) may be desired so as to prevent the sauce 320 from soaking through the lid 322.

Referring to FIG. 8, in some embodiments, the food container 400 may comprise a sauce receptacle 418 that is sized so as to receive a sauce container 420. In this way, a user can place any standard fast food sauce container 420 (e.g., ketchup, ranch, BBQ, etc.) into the receptacle 418. The sauce receptacle 418 may be hingedly coupled to the housing 402, such as by folding along crease 422 and being hingedly coupled along a bottom edge 424. This allows the housing 402 to be easily nested and stacked by a manufacturer, yet allows a user to open the receptacle 418 to insert a sauce container 420 (or sauce directly). As shown, in FIG. 8, the bottom edge 424 may extend laterally from the back 406 so as to form a wider bottom for more easily receiving a container 420. However, the lateral extension is not required and the sauce receptacle may simply taper from the to directly to the back 406 as shown in other embodiments herein. In some embodiments, such as that shown in FIGS. 1-6 and 9, the sauce receptacle may be sized so as to receive a standard sauce container in the industry.

Referring to FIG. 9, in some embodiments, a food container 500 comprises a housing 502 to receive food. The housing 502 may comprise a front 504, a back 506, a first side 508, a second side 510, a top 512, and a bottom 514. The housing 502 may further comprise a food aperture 516 at the top 512 of the housing 502 where food may be deposited. The housing 502 may be manufactured from numerous materials, such as cardboard, paper, plastic, foam, etc. It will be appreciated that the food container 500 may receive any type of food, such as fries, onion rings, tater tots, chicken nuggets, etc.

Furthermore, a sauce receptacle 518 may extend into the food aperture 516 from the top 512, back 506 of the housing 502. In some embodiments, the sauce receptacle 518 may be coupled to the housing 502 via an adhesive on the edges of the sauce receptacle 518. In some embodiments, the sauce receptacle 518 is formed by separating layers (e.g., cardboard layers) of the back 506 to form the sauce receptacle 518.

It will be appreciated that the food container 100-500 may comprise numerous sizes as well as shapes. While the food container 100-500 is illustrated as a box-like structure, it will be appreciated that the food container 100-500 may be cylindrical or any other shape. It will further be appreciated that the food container 100-500 allows a user to more easily access sauce to dip food while in a car, thereby decreasing frustration and messes.

As a result, the food container disclosed herein solves the need for a single container that receives food and sauce separately, thereby making it convenient for a user and reducing or preventing messes.

It will also be appreciated that systems and methods according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure may include, incorporate, or otherwise comprise properties or features (e.g., components, members, elements, parts, and/or portions) described in other embodiments. Accordingly, the various features of certain embodiments can be compatible with, combined with, included in, and/or incorporated into other embodiments of the present disclosure. Thus, disclosure of certain features relative to a specific embodiment of the present disclosure should not be construed as limiting application or inclusion of said features to the specific embodiment unless so stated. Rather, it will be appreciated that other embodiments can also include said features, members, elements, parts, and/or portions without necessarily departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

Moreover, unless a feature is described as requiring another feature in combination therewith, any feature herein may be combined with any other feature of a same or different embodiment disclosed herein. Furthermore, various well-known aspects of illustrative systems, methods, apparatus, and the like are not described herein in particular detail in order to avoid obscuring aspects of the example embodiments. Such aspects are, however, also contemplated herein.

Exemplary embodiments are described above. No element, act, or instruction used in this description should be construed as important, necessary, critical, or essential unless explicitly described as such. Although only a few of the exemplary embodiments have been described in detail herein, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in these exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages herein. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A food container, comprising: a front, a back, a first side, a second side, a top, and a bottom; a food aperture; and a sauce receptacle.
 2. The food container of claim 1, wherein the sauce receptacle is hingedly coupled to the back and is configured to extend outwardly from the back.
 3. The food container of claim 1, wherein the sauce receptacle is hingedly coupled to the back and is configured to extend inwardly into a food aperture.
 4. The food container of claim 1, wherein the sauce receptacle is perforated on a top edge and is hingedly coupled to the back on a bottom edge.
 5. The food container of claim 1, wherein the back comprises a first top edge coupled to a second top edge via a perforation, the sauce receptacle formed by separating the perforation and forming a void between the first top edge and second top edge.
 6. The food container of claim 1, wherein the sauce receptacle is configured to receive a sauce container.
 7. The food container of claim 1, wherein the sauce receptacle comprises a sauce therein and a lid configured to seal the sauce in the sauce receptacle.
 8. A food container, comprising: a front, a back, a first side, a second side, a top, and a bottom; and a food aperture; wherein the back comprises a first edge and a second edge coupled by a perforation, the first edge and second edge forming a void therebetween to receive sauce when the perforation is broken.
 9. A food container, comprising: a housing comprising a food aperture, the housing comprising a front, a back, a first side, a second side, and a bottom; and a sauce receptacle, the sauce receptacle hingedly coupled to the housing.
 10. The food container of claim 9, wherein the sauce receptacle is perforated on a top edge and is hingedly coupled to the housing on a bottom edge.
 11. The food container of claim 9, wherein the sauce receptacle is configured to receive a sauce container.
 12. The food container of claim 9, wherein the sauce receptacle comprises a sauce therein and a lid configured to seal the sauce in the sauce receptacle. 